Giving Thanks
by BHop529
Summary: What happened when Starr visited Cole in prison on Thanksgiving?


**So I wanted to write a one shot of the scenes that were missing from yesterday's episode when Starr went to go visit Cole at Statesville. First off I have to say I LOVE how Cole is still a prominent force on this show. He is mentioned practically every single day and I for one can't get enough. I also love that Starr got to see him and that she is so adamant about waiting for him to get out. I think we all know that she will eventually move on, but I think it just goes to show how much she truly loves him. Without further ado, here is the one shot. As always comments are greatly appreciated! **

**PS: I'm hoping to have both of my chapter fics updated by the end of this weekend, but no promises. I'll try my hardest though.**

* * *

Starr was there, here, in the prison. He couldn't believe it when the guard told him and he still can't. He imagined that they would have called Starr to inform her about the "fight" since she is listed as one of his emergency contacts, only because both she and his mom insisted on it, "for Hope's sake." However, he never imagined that she'd come. He knows he told her to stay away and a part of him hoped she'd have listened to him, yet he can't help but feel somewhat happy at the idea of her rushing to him in his time of need. He's been in prison for almost two weeks and so far it has been hell. He keeps telling himself that it'll get easier as time goes on, he'll get use to it, but honestly he doesn't know if that will ever happen. The only thing that keeps him going day in and day out are his thoughts of "his girls," the two most important people in the world to him. Not that long ago he thought they had died, which was the reason he did what he did, but knowing that they are out there, alive, breathing, living life, that is what gets him through every day.

Just then the door to the infirmary opens and in walk the most beautiful sight he's ever seen. Even after all these years she still manages to take his breath away. He wants nothing more than to get up from the bed they have him in and scoop her up in his arms and just hold her and never let go. The look on her face and in her eyes just kills him. She looks so sad and lost and worried, he just wants to take away all her pain, but he knows that he is the major cause of it.

She can't believe she is standing in front of him, about 10 yards away. It's only been two weeks yet he somehow already looks different. She can't really pinpoint what it is, but even so he is still Cole, her Cole, the man she loves with all her heart. His face is all battered and beginning to bruise. She wants to crawl in bed with him and just take all of his pain away.

They stare at each other for a few moments, lost in their own thoughts, and each other's eyes until the guard behind Starr says, "You've got 15 minutes" then exit's the room and slams the door behind him.

Starr looked back at the door and then turned her head back forward put kept her eyes on the ground. She wasn't quite sure what to do or say so she didn't want to make eye contact. Then Cole broke the silence, "Starr…" his voice was sweet, gentle, yet pleading at the same time, it broke her heart. She finally looked up and when she saw the need in his eyes, his need for her, she ran to him.

Cole opened his arms up and Starr ran right into them. She squeezed him tight which caused him to wince in pain, "Oh my God I'm so sorry, I didn't mean.."

"It's fine. The pain doesn't matter now that you're here."

She looks at him with a sad smile and he takes her face into his hands and plants a soft gentle kiss on her lips. She closes her eyes tight, wanting to relish in this moment, or his lips on hers, for as long as possible. He breaks their kiss and pulls back to look at her, but keeps her face in his hands. After looking her over, he states, "I've missed you so much."

"I've miss you. It feels like its been two years already."

"I know… How's Hope?"

Starr sighs and Cole lets go of her face. She sits down on the bed next to him, "Sad, like me. She misses you much. She keeps asking when your coming home."

"I'm so sorry."

"I just don't know what to tell her, you know? I mean how do you explain to a two year old that she won't be able to see her dad for 10 years. I mean it sucks for me, but I at least understand it, but for her, I just don't know what to do, Cole."

Cole becomes agitated, "God I HATE THIS! I'm such an idiot. I hate to see you like this."

"Me? What about you? Look at you." She says as she gently touches his bruising face with her hand.

"It's nothing, I'm fine."

"Fine? You're not fine. What happened?"

"Nothing, don't worry about it or me."

"Are you serious? All I do is worry about you every second of everyday and then I get a phone call saying you've been in a fight…"

"I told them not to call you."

"Well I'm glad they did. Cole, what happened?"

Cole shrugs, "I'm the new guy, 'Fresh Meat' is what they call me. I guess they wanted to give me a welcome present."

The way he says it so nonchalantly and like it isn't a big deal has Starr worried. He looks at her and sees the worry and concern in her eyes, so he takes her hand, "Hey, I'm fine. Really. I can handle it." She gives him a small smile back but still is beyond worried about him. He looks her up and down and realizes that she is somewhat dressed up. "Where you out somewhere?"

She gives him a questioning look and then realizes that he is referring to her clothing, "Oh no, just Thanksgiving dinner at Aunt Dorian's."

"Oh wow, I completely forgot it's Thanksgiving. I'm so sorry for ruining your dinner."

"You didn't, believe me, it was ruined long before the prison called."

"What happened?"

"Eddie Ford."

"Eddie Ford? As in James' dad?"

"That would be the one."

"I'm confused, I thought he was in prison."

"Apparently he got out and now he's back to make James pay for stealing that money from him."

"So wait, you were having Thanksgiving dinner with James?"

Starr starts to become somewhat uncomfortable and tries to explain, "Well… um.. Langston invited Ford over and she told him that he could bring James. I had no idea he was even coming…"

"Starr… It's fine. Really."

"Are you sure?"

"I don't think I really have a say in who you spend your time with now that I'm behind bars for the next 10 years." Cole meant it somewhat as a joke but Starr didn't seem to find it funny so he decided to just move on with the subject, "So James and Ford come over for Thanksgiving… how does their dad ruin it?"

"Well he shows up, thinking he can crash dinner and then things got a little out of hand and he make this off hand comment about me which caused James to go off on him, and then he hit him."

"James hit his dad?"

"No, his dad hit him."

"What? Are you serious? Right there in front of all of you?"

"Yeah. Cole, the guy is insane. You thought my dad was bad…"

"Wow. Oh um speaking of your dad, my mom was here earlier and she told me that your dad got a restraining order barring her from seeing Hope."

"WHAT! That's not possible, my dad doesn't have the legal right to do that."

"That's what I said. And then my mom said that you're signature was on the document, which is crazy because you would never keep Hope from my mom, right?"

"No! I never signed anyth…" It suddenly dawns on her, "Oh my God."

"What?"

"I can't believe him. My dad tricked me. He told me he wanted to me sign some papers for Hope's trust fund, I jus wanted him to leave so I didn't even bother reading the papers."

"Well that's your dad for you."

" I told him to leave your mom alone."

"Why, was he threatening her?"

"No it wasn't anything like that. He was just… being my dad. He came over to basically gloat about you being in prison and out of my life…"

"Surprise, surprise."

"And then he started going on and on about your mom and how she isn't good for Hope. But Cole, I swear I would NEVER keep your mom from seeing our daughter, especially now. Your mom needs Hope and Hope needs her."

"Hey," he takes her hand to calm her down, "I know you wouldn't and that is exactly what I told my mom."

"I swear as soon as I get back to Llanview I'm going to get this all sorted out and get the order lifted."

"Okay, good…. Especially since you know my mom pays for our apartment and all." He says jokingly.

Starr becomes a little uncomfortable and he can sense it, "What? Did I say something wrong?"

"No… about the apartment, um, Hope and I actually aren't living there anymore."

"What? What do you mean, where are you living?"

"At La Boulle."

"Oh." Cole looks a little hurt.

"It's just that, it's easier living there, because there's so many people to help out with Hope and everything."

"Yeah, no I get it."

"Plus, I just… the apartment is just empty without you there. It was OUR home, and with you not being there its just an apartment, you know?"

"Yeah… but at this point anything beats a cell."

"Is it horrible?"

"I mean it's jail. But I'm adjusting, the first night was the worse though."

"I can only imagine."

"Well I have to imagine that first night wasn't a blast for you either."

Starr become exceedingly uncomfortable when Cole mentions that night. She's been debating whether she should tell him about it or not, but ultimately decides that if they are going to make it, there can't be any secrets.

"Cole, I have to tell you something."

"Okay…"

"That night, after you left, I was complete mess. I didn't want see anyone, or talk to anyone. In fact I just sat up in my old room at Aunt Dorian's and stared at our scrapbook. I was just so lost." She looks at Cole who takes his hand to tuck her hand behind her ear, and he has so much compassion in his eyes right now, and it kills her that she has to tell him this. "Then… then James showed up, out of no where. He was concerned about me, so he came to check on me…. And then…" She doesn't even know how to say it.

"Then what Starr?"

"I tried to sleep with James."

Cole just has a look of pure shock on his face. And Starr beings to explain herself, "I didn't even know what I was doing. One minute I was sitting there thinking about how much I missed you and then the next…"

"You were going at it with James."

"I lost my mind."

"What stopped you?"

"James. He made me realize that it wasn't what I really wanted. That I was just trying to numb the pain of losing you. It just hurt so much, Cole, and I wanted to feeling nothing, anything, but the pain. And because you told me that you didn't want to see me and you wanted me to move on, with James…"

"I didn't mean a couple hours after I walked out of the door."

"I know. I was grieving, Cole, that's all it was."

"You sure?"

Before Starr could answer the door opens and the guard enters. "Times up."

Starr looks at the guard, "Can't we just get a few more minutes?"

"I'm sorry but the rules are rules."

Starr begins to panic, she doesn't want to leave things with Cole on bad terms, so she turns back to face Cole and takes his hand, "Cole, I swear to you, I love you. I want you, and no matter how much you hate it I'm going to wait for you, how ever long it takes. I'll be here."

He just wants to forget everything she just told him. She is about to walk out that door and he doesn't know when the next time he is going to see her is, so he gives her a soft smile, and gently strokes her face with the back of his hand, "I love you, Starr. Give Hope a kiss for me and tell her I love her."

"Are we okay?"

The guard chimes in, "Time to go, now."

Starr looks at Cole with questioning eyes, "You should go, before we piss him off."

She gets up from the bed and walks toward the door, she hears Cole call out for her, "Starr…" she turns around and faces him, "Happy Thanksgiving," he says with a smile.

She gives him a small smile back and says, "Happy Thanksgiving, Cole." And with that she walks out of the room, with the guard following her and before she can turn back around to catch one last glimpse of the man she loves, the guard closes the door.

* * *

Blair walks up to Starr as she enters the waiting area, she can see the pain on her daughters face and opens up her arms as Starr heads straight into them and begins to cry on her mother's shoulder.

"Oh baby, it's going to be okay."

"I just love him so much, mom."

"I know you do baby, I know you do."

After a couple moments Starr backs away from Blair and composes herself, "You ready to go?"

Starr wipes her eyes and nods, "Yes. And the first thing I'm going to do when I get home is see dad."


End file.
